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manskop. The drive, although only ten km. takes a good half hour, as the howling winds blow sand so thick that it is like driving in a heavy fog. The wind nearly took my car door off when | stepped out and | was grateful to have had the foresight to carry a plastic weatherproof cover on my camera. Without it the sensitive mechanisms would not have lasted more than a few minutes. There are about 30 build- ings, most of them ruins, but each with a uniqueness and story centered around the inhabitants who lived there in search of their fortune. Abandoned buildings in the ghost town of Koopmanskop, Namibia. Continued from page 39 people, mostly Germans, made their way by ships to this unique place, where the white sands of the Kalahari meet the frigid waters of the South Atlantic. When | first saw the town | stood in awe at the vast white expanse of the desert. | have seen the Sahara and the Mohave, but nothing prepared me for the constant sand blowing everywhere by the fierce winds. Koopman- skop, as the settlement was known is now nothing more than a ghost town, but less than ten km. away is the picturesque seaside resort town of Luderitz, which now is the only reason to visit this part of Namibia. The people who live in Luderitz have come from all over the world, the majority being German, or of Ger- man decent. | met a woman, well into her seventies, who arrived as a teen on her way to South Africa. She found work as a barmaid and never left. | wasn’t sure what at- tracted the people, for the winds howled constantly and the 30 degree temperatures were a bit unbearable, but a visit to the abandoned ghost town and of course, the ocean, certainly have an appeal for tourists. | set out from my hotel to visit the ghost town of Koop- GREEN APPLE CABINET perience Designing Dream vehicle rm otering / ssonvtonitsoanad, com Reach & Panperny Rd., 905-985-0802 40 FOCUS - JANUARY 2015 Walking through sand filled houses, a school and a hospital | could imagine how difficult life must have been for these prospectors as they crawled on their hands and knees over the sand looking for diamonds. I’m sure many people wonder why anyone, let alone me, would visit such a faraway locale, and believe me when | tell you | wondered that myself. There is something magical about standing on a place where most people in my world have never been (and probably never will be). A few months ago | couldn't even pronounce Namibia and now | have stood among the deserted buildings, sand blowing harshly everywhere carrying the anguish sounds of the diamond prospectors, now long forgotten. Although Namibia is mostly desert landscape it is also home to some of Africa’s wildest animals. A leopard jumped from the bushes a meter from my Land Rover and at one point | counted a herd of 32 elephants drinking from a water hole, but that is another article. Perhaps next month | will share my experiences with the wild animals of Africa's Etosha Region, an area the size of Lake Ontario and home to countless species of elephants, rhinos and the predatory cats. www.green- WS S Ltd. kitchens For All Bu ~ AUTO ~ BUSINESS us HEATH GROUP BENEFITS W.O. INSURANCE BROKERS Dale Gibbons 218. (on, ROKER —— 1564 King St. E. (Hwy. #2) Courtice 48 Water St., Port Perry, ON (905) 985-3767 [iM 2052°.20°°,.,okorscom